Ideas for · 2 min read · updated

White elephant gift ideas people actually steal

A white elephant gift has two jobs: get a laugh when it's opened, and start a fight when it's stolen.

The short answer

Bring something big that anyone in the room would want: a giant pillow shaped like a hot dog, a pillow of a text that just says we need to talk, or a dad hat for a fake yacht club. Skip anything with one person's face on it unless the whole room knows them.

The picks

  1. A hot dog shaped pillow with a white edge, made with Big Snack
    Pillows

    Big Snack

    Type any usual order and get it as one giant pillow, painted to look delicious or made to look like a plush toy, cut and sewn along the food. Anyone can use it, and it's big enough to fight over.

    Makes: Shaped pillow, stickers, magnets

  2. A blue text bubble pillow that says "you up?" with a read receipt, made with Left On Read
    Pillows

    Left On Read

    A pillow of a text message that just says we need to talk, with a read receipt at 3:14 AM. It needs no explanation.

    Makes: Shaped pillow, stickers, magnets

  3. A stone dad hat embroidered with Reply All Yacht Club, Est. 2019 and a shield, made with The Club
    Hats

    The Club

    A dad hat with the crest of a fake yacht club for a problem everyone has, like replying all, with a faux-Latin motto stitched in.

    Makes: Embroidered hat, beanie or patch

  4. A sticker sheet of six round merit badges under a Merit Badges of Adulthood banner, made with Merit Badges
    Stickers & patches

    Merit Badges

    A sticker sheet of merit badges for adulting: Called the Dentist, Bin Day Champion, Asleep Before Midnight.

    Makes: Sticker sheet, holo sticker or patch

It has to work for whoever ends up with it

You can't pick who takes it home, so personal gifts are a gamble. A pillow of your cousin's dog is great for your cousin and a mystery to the other eleven people.

What gets stolen is big enough to get a reaction when the paper comes off and funny without a backstory. A hot dog pillow the size of a couch cushion does both.

The one exception

If everyone at the party knows the same person, like the host or the boss, a gift with that person on it beats everything else in the pile. Check they'll laugh first.

Questions people ask

Should a white elephant gift be personalized?

Only around something the whole room shares, like the host or the office. A gift about one person only works for that person.

What's the difference between white elephant and Yankee swap?

Mostly the name. Both are gift swaps where people can steal a gift that's already been opened, so the same advice applies.

What's a funny white elephant gift that's still useful?

A big pillow. Everyone has a couch, and a giant hot dog or a text bubble on it still gets a laugh in March.